Run Ridge Run 25k

Traveled north to Canada on Saturday for the Run Ridge Run 25k.  This is a new 13k/25k which is the finale of the Coast Mountain Trail Running Series.  The course largely pulls from the Diez Vista course, which I did a few years ago.  The trail is full of rocks and roots, and is a trail runner's delight, if you like technical running.  The view from Diez Vista Ridge, as seen above, is expansive, looking across a beautiful inlet.

For me, it was more like the Walk Ridge Walk.  With longer runs over the previous two weekends and a recently turned ankle, I couldn't run worth beans. Therefore, I hiked, with purpose. The roots on the ridge were slick from all the rain, as were some of the rock faces. There was lots of climbing, some slipping, and on occasion my hands and knees got dirty.  I was in last place almost from the start, with the friendly grim sweeper always not too far behind. I just plowed ahead to the DFL. Not my first even-- but as long as I'm getting them, I'm outside, I guess.

The day started with an absolute downpour, but things turned pretty nice by midday. Views from the ridge were somewhat obscured, and there was frequently mist on the trail.

The flagging on the course was some of the best ever. Seriously, there was a flag every three minutes. Gary is a terrific race director--really enjoyed his contagious enthusiasm, and the volunteers everywhere were all smiles and encouragement, despite my less than awesome result. Thank you. Really great to see friends Linda, Gary and others and hang out with Rich on the way up and back. 

Footnote 1:  we got stopped and subjected to a random search when we crossed into Canada. When they send you around, you're supposed to go inside. You're not supposed to stand outside your car eating a sandwich, waiting for the search team to arrive.

Footnote 2: the homemade tacos my wife prepared for us when we got back home were the best. Home sweet home.

Easy Pass Fall 2010

Sipping on coffee, reflecting on a nice day in the North Cascades yesterday. Friends Kevin, Linda, Jamie and I ran the Easy Pass to Colonial Creek route, a 25 mile, three valley adventure through the heart of the park. I’ve blogged about this exact route before, as this is my third time doing it in the past year or so, and so I’ll keep this short. But initially, I’ll just say—there is good cause to return here, again and again.

Saturday was a cold one. We had snow on the ground, all the way up the 3.5 miles to Easy Pass, and we were chilled, hiking in the shadows of the peaks. Last year was colder, but it never really warmed up this year, as it eventually did last year.

On top of Easy Pass, the larches are golden, beautiful against a deep blue sky. It looked to me like peak was a week ago, but there was plenty of gold hanging from their gnarled, winter-tested limbs. The huckleberries too were red, probably having also peaked a week ago. Frosted ferns, mountains dusted with snow. The land is getting ready for winter. At the lower elevations, the forest floor was carpeted with deep green moss, the trail cutting a soft, magical line through this sea of green, alongside old growth cedars and the clear Fischer and Thunder Creeks. Fairy tale land--Hansel and Gretel came up.

October is mushroom season in the northwest, and so we spent a lot of time spotting different types of gilled mushrooms, coral fungi, conch shells on conifers, log jellies, and spine fungi. Frankly, this was my chief interest in going here this weekend. I actually sampled three different types, all of which were interesting. I didn’t eat a ton, as I didn’t want to be the trail runner who died of mushroom poisoning. But I was pretty pleased in my confidence level at identifying a few edibles. Most of the color spectrum was represented.

I didn’t really run that great. The cold made it hard to loosen up, and I puttered a lot, looking at mountains, glaciers, fungi, and brush. Still, 25 or so miles. Running down—and there’s a ton of down on this run—tests my back a bit more than flats or ups. I was really stiff at the end. Speed wasn't a problem—we got done with plenty of light, and it was just a great day in the high backcountry. By evening, I was watching the Huskies beat the Beavers, with a pizza.

More Easy Pass-Colonial Creek photos here.

Mowich Loop

Rich, Linda and I ran and hiked the Mowich Loop section of the Wonderland Trail on Saturday, in Mount Rainier National Park. As per Rich's wrist technology, the loop was 21 miles with over 7500 feet of climbing. I didn't really run well, in part because of the back but as much because of the time off. It didn't matter--it was good to get out and do something spectacular, after a long week. This qualified. 

Up high, the heather, lupine and paintbrush literally lined the trail, red, blue and red, as if cheering you on. It was about as beautiful a display of wildflowers as I've ever seen. A Bonkers for Botany special.

The weather was not particularly good, with rain through the afternoon, and there were no views of Mt. Rainier, but I didn't really notice, in the moment. Every turn on the trail provided something new and world class, and the company--Rich and Linda--was the best. Many many laughs. And then some.

We started the loop at the Mowich campground. This was Rich's program from the start--I was grateful to be along for the ride.  In the first hour or so, we climbed Tolmie Peak and checked out a lookout, where Forest Service workers were painting and making improvements. I sweated way more than I'd have liked going up, but just went with it.

Back to the Wonderland Trail loop--we descended Ipsut Pass, I think, by monster cliffs and through big tree country. Eventually we ended up down in the Carbon River area, which is a huge washout area--everything  is big in the Rainier area, sort of like Texas. Big rocks, big trees, big glaciers, big creeks. We checked out the Carbon glacier, which I failed to immediately recognize-duh-and then crossed a really long suspension bridge. Lots of friendly backpackers on trail, a few of whom asked, "Didn't we see you at Mowich this morning?"

A long slog up another pass, climbing through a few different ecological zones, including the river valley, up to the mountain streams and fields of flowers, and then to rock, lava, and ice. We ran into some goats in the mist, and they ran away too quick for any good photos. I took lots of photos, but the persistent rain and the camera operator inhibited me from really capturing things. But here's a link to an album I posted.

A long day was completed with nice descent from a pass, through wildflowers, and then a two mile jaunt by Eagle's Roost to Mowich. A really cool loop with the best of people. Just what the doctor ordered for me.